Bob Wills and Woody Guthrie: Two Oklahoma Music Icons . . . Who Never Met --- But What If They Had?

Tulsa, Oklahoma – On this edition of our program, we talk about a new, original play that has its premiere tonight (June 25th) at the Tulsa PAC, as a part of the 2009 SummerStage Festival. The one-act play --- called "Time Changes Everything," and written By John Wooley and Thomas Connor --- depicts two imaginary meetings between Oklahoma icons Bob Wills and Woody Guthrie. On our show today, we chat with co-playwright (and longtime Public Radio Tulsa host) John Wooley we well as John Cooper, who plays Wills in the play. Cooper is best known as a member of the beloved local band, the Red Dirt Rangers --- and one of his bandmates in the Rangers, Brad Piccolo, plays Guthrie. Indeed, at the end of this play, the Red Dirt Rangers will perform a brief concert. (Note that tonight's performance of "Time Changes Everything" is sold out --- but additional shows are already being considered for August of this year.) Also on today's show, we have commentaries by Jeff Martin (regarding VHS tapes and other relatively ancient media) and Barry Friedman (in the first segment of his recently completed, three-part Italian travelogue).